Hale's Pizza
by riley-poole27
Summary: Stiles gets a job at a Hale's Pizza, alongside Peter, Derek and Laura Hale.
1. Chapter 1

The tiled floor was hard to walk on, covered in gritty corn meal and small puddles of water. Stiles' sneakers slipped a little on the floor, and his hand instantly reached out to grab the edge of the counter to catch himself.

"Careful." The pizza chef called out, tossing the crust high into the air above him. Stiles nodded at him, watching the older man work on the dough.

"Yeah, this floor is a bit hard to walk on." Stiles said, nervously adjusting the dark blue apron cinched tight around his waist.

"That's an understatement." The chef said, giving him a wry grin. "You'll get used to it, eventually."

Stiles had no customers, the pizza shop had been open for hours, but business was slow. Normally, friday nights were their busiest night of the week. Stiles grabbed the broom, and started to sweep up the corn meal and bits of produce that covered the kitchen floor. He managed to fill the dustpan three times before Stiles was satisfied that the floor was safe to walk on. This shop had so many health code violations. He wouldn't be surprised if they failed the annual inspection, and got shut down.

He didn't know what to do, as he stood at the counter, fiddling with the stack of take away menus. This was only his third shift, and he was still a bit unfamiliar around the kitchen. He'd been hired by the owner, Peter Hale, after the pizza shop had put an advertisement in the Beacon Hills newspaper looking for students to fill a part-time position. He knew that the pizza chef was Peter's nephew, Derek Hale, and that his niece, Laura, worked as the delivery girl.

Stiles heard AWOL Nation song start to play on the radio behind him, and he started to rap his knuckles lightly against the countertop in time to the music. Completely lost in thought, he didn't even hear the pizza chef behind him calling his name.

"STILES!" The man shouted. Stiles jumped, and turned around.

"Sorry. What?" He asked, embarrassed to be caught daydreaming at work.

"Can you start folding the 12" pizza boxes? We're almost out." He said, gesturing to the pile of flattened boxes in the back of the kitchen.

"Sure, buddy." Stiles said, sliding ungracefully across the wet floor, and leaning down to pick up the first box.

"It's Derek." The chef said.

"Oh, okay." Stiles said. He watched Derek expertly slather the crust with tomato sauce, and reach for the pizza toppings. Stiles took a moment to admire the older man's physique, and Stiles wondered how often a guy would have to work out to get muscles that great looking. Derek paused, and turned to look at Stiles.

"What?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Nothing." Stiles said, looking down at the piece of cardboard in his hands. He could feel his cheeks getting red, as Derek shrugged, and continued working.

Derek wasn't one for conversation, intent on his work. Stiles was used to having someone to talk to, but he hadn't been able to convince his best friend, Scott McCall, to apply for the pizza job. He knew his friend was happy at the animal clinic, not only because he got to take care of injured animals, but because Scott had a fantastic boss named Deaton that he admired as a father figure. Whenever Laura came into the store to pick up the delivery orders, she would often stop for a minute to chat with him, but for most of his shifts, Stiles had no one to talk to.

He found himself staring at Derek again, as he watched the chef bread the chicken wings, and put them into the oven. Derek glanced up as he worked, and saw that Stiles was watching him, but he didn't say anything.

"Can I go on break?" Stiles asked, halfway through his shift. He was parched from the heat emanating from the oven, and his feet were aching.

"Yeah, I'll man the phones." Derek said, mopping the sweat from his brow. "Do me a favour, will you. Go to the grocery store down the street and get me a bag of onions, and a two litre of pepsi. You can keep the change." Derek said, taking a ten dollar bill out of his wallet, and handing it to Stiles.

"Seriously?" Stiles grumbled, taking the money. "Why can't you go to the store. I'll man the ovens." He said, giving Derek a cocky little grin.

"I don't trust you around the oven. And I don't want the place to burn down in my absence. Now get outta here." Derek said, giving Stiles a sarcastic smile.

Stiles took off his apron, and grabbed his bike. He bought Derek's purchases, and pocketed the receipt. He used the change to buy himself a can of pepsi for himself, before heading back to the store. Stiles chained his bike to the sign outside of the building and walked in. The heat from the ovens hit him like a wall, and Stiles could see from the thermomenter that the temperature was nearly fifteen degrees hotter in the store then it was outside.

"Here's your stuff," Stiles said, dropping the onions and the pepsi onto the front counter.

Derek thanked him. He opened the bottle of pepsi, and took a swig, before recapping it and sticking it into the cooler. Stiles popped open his can of pop, and took a sip.

When it was closing time, Derek instructed Stiles to sweep up the floor, and wash down the tables. Stiles grabbed the bottle of cleaner and a rag, and started to vigorously scrub down the table tops.

"I can drive you home as soon as we're finished cleaning up." Derek said, as he filled up the sink with hot water.

"Nah. I got my bike." Stiles said.

"It's nearly midnight." Derek said, eyebrows furrowed together. "I'd feel safer if I drove you home. You can throw your bike in the trunk."

"Dude, nothing bad's gonna happen. It's Beacon Hills, I've lived here all my life." Stiles said.

"How about this, either I drive you home, or you call your dad for a ride?" Derek said, determined to make sure the kid didn't mugged or hit by a car in the middle of the night.

"I'll catch a ride with you." Stiles said, smirking. "But seriously, I don't mind biking."


	2. Chapter 2

Derek dropped off Stiles and his bike in front of the Stilinski house. Derek could see the Sheriff standing on the front porch, waiting for his son. He gave the Sheriff a quick wave, as he backed out of the driveway.

"Who is that?" Sheriff asked his son, as Stiles locked up his bike against the porch railing.

"Derek." Stiles said. "He's the pizza chef at work."

"That's nice, that he gave you a ride. I was just about to come over and pick you up." The Sheriff said, going back into the house.

The next day Stiles showed up a few minutes early for work, to find the door was locked. He sat down at the curb, and waited for Laura and Derek to arrive.  
Derek's black car pulled up a few minutes later, and they unlocked the door for him.

"You're early." Laura said, grinning at him. Stiles went into the back to change into his work uniform. He came out, and quickly clocked in on the computer.

Laura hung out with Stiles and Derek for nearly half an hour while she waited for her first delivery of the night. She hopped up on the counter beside Stiles,  
and entertained the teen by telling him dirty jokes. Derek half-listened to her chatter on, as he set to work chopping the vegetables for the pizza toppings.

Derek finally broke into a smile, as he told her to knock it off. "C'mon, you're gonna corrupt the poor kid. He's so innocent looking." Derek said, laughing as Stiles turned beet red.

"Dude, I don't mind." Stiles told them, as he leaned against the counter. He liked listening to Laura, she was really funny. He also liked watching Derek work.

The bell above the front door jangled, and Stiles quickly straightened his posture to serve the customer. Laura slid off the counter, and disappeared into the back. Stiles was pleased to discover that the customer was Scott's girlfriend, Allison Argent, with her parents.

"Three slices of the works, Stiles." Chris Argent said, as his wife and daughter sat down at one of the small tables. Stiles rung up the man's order, and gave him his change. He waved at Allison, as Chris sat down with his family.

They closed up shop, and Laura said goodbye to her brother and Stiles as she got into her red corolla. Stiles hopped into the passenger seat of Derek's car,  
and instantly started fidgeting with the various controls. Derek watched with amusement as Stiles moved his seat forward and backwards, and turned on the seat warmers.

"Are you hungry?" Derek asked, as he drove. "I'm thinking of going through the drive thru. You want anything?"

"You paying?" Stiles shot back. Derek laughed.

"Yeah, Stiles. I'm paying." He said, giving the teen a sidelong glance.

"Then yeah, I'm starved. Burgers and fries?" Stiles suggested.

"Sure." Derek said. He pulled up at the drive through window, and ordered two meals, and two vanilla milkshakes. He paid on his card, and handed the large brown sack to Stiles.

"Dig in." Derek said, watching as the kid started to devour his hamburger. Derek parked in the lot, and started to drink his milkshake.

"Just be careful to not spill any food in the car. This car is a bitch to clean." Derek said. Stiles nodded, his mouth full of food. Stiles quickly devoured his food, and sat, fidgeting, while Derek slowly ate.

Derek glared at Stiles, as the teen reached into the bag and pulled out a handful of french fries. He shoved them into his mouth.

"Don't touch my food." Derek said, glaring at Stiles, annoyed. Stiles glanced up at Derek's face, and took in the older man's angry scowl.

"Is that your angry face? I'm not afraid of you," Stiles told him, putting up a brave front, as he continued to eat Derek's food.

Derek moved forward, and grabbed the bag out of Stiles' hand. Stiles flinched a little. "Okay, maybe I am," Stiles said, eyeing Derek cautiously. Derek rolled his eyes. He took out his hamburger, and shoved the bag into Stiles' hands.

"You can have my fries, if you want." Derek relented, watching as Stiles' eyes lit up as he reached for another handful of fries.

Stiles looked out the window, as he ate. It was pitch black outside, and he enjoyed sitting in the warm vehicle beside Derek. Stiles quickly polished off Derek's fries, before realizing it was nearly midnight.

"Oh my god." Stiles said, realizing that he had to get home soon. He had lacrosse practise early tomorrow before school. "I gotta get home. It's pretty late."

Derek grabbed all their garbage, and threw it outside in the bin. He drove Stiles home.

The pizza shop was only really busy during supper hour, which meant that for alot of Derek and Stiles' shifts, they didn't really have much to do. Derek decided that he would take advantage of the lack of customers, and teach Stiles how to make pizzas.

"Okay, today i'm gonna teach you to make pizza dough." Derek said. "And once you've mastered that, we'll move onto the next step."

Stiles raised his eyebrows at the pizza chef. "I thought you didn't trust me in the kitchens." He said, surprised. "I could burn down the place, remember?"

"Do you want to learn or not?" Derek asked, annoyed. Stiles nodded.

Derek went through painstaking details, and wrote the recipe down for Stiles on a piece of paper.

"I want you to practise at home." Derek told him.

Stiles laughed. "What about school and lacrosse? Between work and school, I don't really have time to be cooking pizzas."

"Make time." Derek said.

Stiles took out a bowl, and started to measure the ingredients. He mixed them together, and covered the bowl with a damp cloth. "NOw what?" He asked.

"Now we wait. If you screwed up the dough, you'll have to restart from the beginning." Derek said, grinning wolfishly at the younger boy.

It took Stiles six attempts before he was able to make his dough rise properly. Derek looked pleased.

"Again." Derek insisted, as Stiles accidently dropped the ball of dough onto the kitchen floor. Stiles rolled his eyes, and bent down to scrape the sticky mass of dough off the tiled floor. Derek reached into the tray, and handed Stiles a new ball. Stiles rubbed his brow with the back of his hand, and picked up the dough, and started to knead it into a crust. Derek stood beside him, watching him work.

"You're improving, you know." Derek commented, as he watched Stiles mercilessly attack the dough. "Watch the overkill. You're supposed to knead it, not murder it."

Stiles shot him a look, as he picked up the dough, and started to toss it into the air. When Stiles made to catch it, his fingers poked a hole through the centre. "Son of a bitch." Stiles growled, staring at the ruined crust. Derek watched Stiles for a second, before rolling up his sleeves to his elbows. He squirted some hand sanitizer on his hands and rubbed them together. Derek took the dough from Stiles, and placed it on the table.

"Look, i'll show you how to fix it." Derek said, trying to be as patient as he could. Stiles watched while Derek expertly patched the crust back together.

"See?" Derek said. "Good as new."

Derek turned around, and watched Stiles. The kid was frowning in deep concentration as he carefully kneaded the ball of dough, and started to shape it into a pizza crust. he was trying so hard to get it right. Stiles attempted to throw the ball of dough into the air. He caught it. Stiles' eyebrows shot up in shock, as he realized that the crust had actually remained intact.

"YES!" Stiles shouted, gleefully, biting his lip and doing a small victory dance. Stiles glanced over his shoulder, hoping that Derek had witnessed his victory.  
Derek smiled at him, as he turned back to the hot oven. He was glad that Stiles was catching on fast.


	3. Chapter 3

After school, Stiles hopped on his bike and rode downtown. His shift wasn't for another hour. Stiles felt a cold raindrop fall onto his skin, and he glanced up at the grey sky. It was just his luck, to be arriving to work early when there was a downpour. Stiles sighed, as the rain started to fall more heavily.

Stiles' hair and clothes were plastered to his skin, and he looked ridiculous. Derek took one look at him, and started to laugh, holding onto his side.

"Oh my god, Stiles." Derek said, as Stiles glared at him. The kid looked so drenched, like a wet dog.

"I'm soaked, alright? Stop laughing at me."

Derek scrounged around the manager's office, until he found a pair of his uncle's jeans and a clean t-shirt. He passed them through the bathroom door to Stiles.

"Here," He said. "Try these on. They might fit you."

Stiles opened the bathroom door, wearing the baggy jeans, and the clean v-neck tshirt. He was in his barefeet, his arms full of wet clothes.

"Can I put these in the dryer?" Stiles asked, as he looped one of his thumbs through the belt loops of the oversized jeans and hitched them up a bit.

Derek nodded, and they walked over to the machine in the back room. They put the clothes in, and set the machine for an hour. Stiles hopped up onto the dryer, his feet swinging a little.

Derek noticed that Stiles was shivering a little, and he gave the kid a concerned look.

"Are you still cold?" He asked. "Don't want you to get sick."

"A little." Stiles said, shivering. Derek reached behind Stiles, and took a towel off the shelf. He unfolded it, and wrapped around Stile's shaking shoulders.

"Th-thanks." Stiles said, as Derek started to gently rub the teen's arms.

After a few minutes, Stiles leaned over and kissed Derek on the mouth. Derek's eyebrows raised in surprise, as he felt Stile's lips on his own. Derek kissed him back. Derek put a hand on the back of Stiles' head, and laced his fingers through the kid's tousled hair. Stiles scooted forward a little, and put one of his hands on Derek's chest.

They heard a knock on the laundry room door, and Derek glanced up to see his older sister in the doorway. She was wearing a black t-shirt, and the matching black ball cap. Derek could see Laura's cheeks redden a little, and he wondered how much she had seen.

"Laura," Derek said, stepping away from Stiles. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, and stepped around her. "Stiles is just warming up. He got caught in the thunderstorm, so we put his clothes in the dryer."

"Uh Huh." Laura said, avoiding her brother's gaze. "Can I talk to you in the manager's office, Der?" She asked, and stalked out of the room.

Derek followed her into the cramped office, and closed the door behind him. Laura was leaning against the work calendar, her arms crossed against her chest.

"Can you explain why I just had to walk in on you making out with that kid?" Laura asked, looking up at her brother.

"He kissed me first." Derek said defensively. "And besides, it's not really a big deal."

"He's in high school." Laura shot back.

"I'm aware of that, thanks." Derek told her, sarcastically.

"Derek, you can't go making out with a teenager. Especially the new trainee. Uncle Peter's gonna have a shitfit."

"Peter's not gonna find out." Derek hissed, trying to keep his voice down. He knew how paper thin the walls were in the building, and he didn't want Stiles to overhear them.

She pushed past him, and put her hand on the doorknob. "You're a grown man, Derek. Keep your relationship strictly business from now on. Consider this a verbal warning."

Derek rolled his eyes at his older sister's back, and went back into the laundry room. The dryer door was open, and Stiles was gone. Derek rapped lightly on the bathroom door.

"Stiles?" He called out. There was a muffled thump, and it sounded like a few muttered swear words.

"Just a sec!" Stiles answered, as he hopped into his jeans. He pulled on his warm socks, and his work t-shirt. He flung open the door, and almost ran into Derek, who was still standing in the hallway.

"Oh! Sorry." Stiles said, jamming the ballcap on his head. Derek looked down at Stile's socked feet with amusement.

"Where's your shoes?" Derek asked.

"Oh - Uh, they're still wet." Stiles said, pointing to his white adidas sneakers sitting on the radiator. They were still pretty damp.

Derek shrugged. "I guess one shift in your socks isn't gonna kill you." He said, walking back to the kitchen. Laura flipped the sign in the window to indicate that they were open, and clocked in on the computer. Derek ignored the angry looks she was shooting at him, as he started chopping the vegetables.

"When I'm out doing deliveries, you two better keep your hands off each other." She said, one hand on her hip. "I don't wanna have to walk in on you two again. Besides, it'd be bad for business if people aren't able to order their pizzas, because the chef is too busy kissing the newbie to do his job."

Derek put down the knife, and sighed. He turned around, and glared at her. "Knock it off, Laura. You've made your point."

"I'm just saying - " She started.

"LAURA! Enough!" Derek shouted.

Stiles walked into the kitchen, his eyebrows raising as he watched the two siblings fight. He slipped past Derek, hoping to go unnoticed, as he clocked in on the computer. Stiles grabbed a stack of pizza boxes, and started to fold them.

Laura stalked outside, and started to smoke a cigarette under the awning. Stiles watched her shield the cigarette with her hand, as she was lashed with the heavy rains.

"Is everything okay?" Stiles asked, cringing a little. He felt guilty that he'd created tension between the Hale siblings, by initiating that kiss with Derek.

"She's just pissed 'cause she caught us kissing. Especially since you're still in high school." Derek said, slashing at the green pepper in front of him.

"Oh."

"Yeah." Derek said, glancing up.

"Sorry." Stiles said, looking down.

"Don't be." Derek said. "I'm not." He picked up an onion, and started to peel off the outer layers. "Laura thinks we should keep our relationship business only, from now on. She threatened to tell uncle Peter."

"Will he be pissed?" Stiles asked, concerned. He'd only met the owner once, the day he had his interview. Normally, it was just himself, Laura and Derek.

"He has a bit of temper, yeah." Derek said, shrugging. "I'd rather keep him out of this." Derek stopped to wipe his eyes on his apron. Stiles looked at him,  
surprised.

"Why are you crying, dude?" He asked, taken aback. Derek started to smile, as he continued to tear up.

"I'm chopping onions, Stiles." Derek said, flashing him a brilliant grin. "Keep folding those boxes."


	4. Chapter 4

Laura Hale rushed into the crowded room, and flicked her hair over her shoulder. It was friday night, and the dining area was packed with customers, mostly teenagers. She gave a small wave to Stiles as he rung in a woman's order. He gave her a quick smile. Laura went into the kitchen, and took a handful of black olives. She popped one into her mouth.

"Laura, quit eating the toppings." Derek growled, furrowing his eyebrows at her. She popped another olive into her mouth, to piss him off.

"I'm your boss, Derek." Laura reminded him, watching him place the toppings onto the pizza.

"Only 'cause you're older." Derek said, seriously.

"And better looking."

The corner of Derek's mouth twitched. "You wish." He retorted, putting the pizza into the oven.

"Derek, can you take over deliveries? I wanna make the food for a bit." She said, giving her best puppy eyes. Derek rolled his eyes, trying to ignore her.

"I hate doing deliveries."

"You'll get tips." She reminded him.

"And deal with shitty customers." He said. He hated some of the people of Beacon Hills. He wasn't a social butterfly like his older sister.

"Those customers are keeping this business alive. Be civil with them." She said, as he reached behind him to untie the knot in the apron. He slipped it off, and handed it to Laura.

"Just remember to smile, and stop being such a grouch." She told him, which only managed to deepen Derek's frown.

A few days later, Derek and Laura drove to their uncle's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Peter hale opened the door, and ushered them in. It was a crisp night, orange and yellow leaves skittering across the sidewalks outside. Laura took off her purple peacoat, and hung it up by the door. Peter stood by the oven, arms folded over his thin, V-neck shirt. He nodded at his niece and nephew.

"Stiles should be here soon," Derek said, looking down at his cellphone. "He's having dinner with his dad, but he's coming over in an hour."

"How is he doing?" Peter asked, opening the cupboard to take down the plates for dinner. "I trust he's been a good employee."

"He's doing good." Derek said, stiffly, as Laura eyed him. She kicked him under the table, and Derek glared at her.

Peter put the plates down, and gave Laura a curious glance. "Is something the matter?" He asked, noticing the looks exchanged by the siblings.

Derek shook his head, abruptly. Laura put her elbow on the table, and rested her cheek against her palm. "It's nothing, Peter." She said, unconvincingly.

"Come on," Peter said, tilting his head sarcastically as he spoke. "What is going on?"

Laura raised her eyebrows at Derek, before finally answering the question. "It's about Stiles."

Derek stood up, and walked out of the room. Peter and Laura watched him go out onto the porch, before Peter turned back to his niece.

"What about him?" Peter asked, interested.

"I caught Derek kissing him." Laura admitted. Peter sat down.

"Did he now?" He said to himself, the corner of his mouth rising a little in amusement.

"Peter!" Laura frowned. "It's not funny. Stiles is a minor. He's in high school." She said, annoyed that her uncle seemed to find the situation comedic.

"Have you talked to your brother? What did Derek have to say?" Peter asked, opening the cutlery drawer, and pulling out the knives and forks.

"Oh yeah, I talked to him, alright. Told him he wasn't allowed to continue his relationship. Now he's pissed at me." Laura told him.

"Maybe he doesn't want you interfering with his . . . relationships." Peter said, smirking.

"Well, somebody's gotta talk some sense to that boy. He can't just - "

"What, fall in love?" Peter said, sitting down beside her. Laura looked at him, frowning.

"He's a kid." She said, annoyed. She heard the front door bang open, and saw her brother leaning against the doorframe. His expression was surly, as he glared at both his sister and uncle.

"Y'know, I can hear you guys talking from on the porch." He said, angrily. He hated that his sister was discussing his private life with their uncle.

"Good." Laura said, returning his glare. Peter gestured to the empty seat beside him.

"Derek, why don't you come join us? Let's talk." He said, trying his best to keep the situation calm. The last thing he needed was a thanksgiving brawl on his hands.

"Let's not." Derek said, grabbing his leather jacket and going back outside. Peter and Laura watched him leave.

Derek got into his car, and sped out of his uncle's driveway. He felt betrayed by his sister. She had no right telling Peter about him and Stiles kissing, and she had no right lecturing him. He sped through the quiet streets of Beacon Hills, enjoying the wind whipping in the open windows. After driving aimlessly around for hours, Derek found himself cruising down Stiles' street. He parked outside of the kid's house, and looked at the house. Derek could see Stiles and his dad in the kitchen, laughing. They looked happy. Derek got out of the car, and walked up to the front door. He rang the doorbell.

"Derek?" Stiles said, surprised to see his friend standing on his porch. "what's up, dude?" He asked, as Derek followed him into the house.

"I had a fight with Laura." Derek said, looking at the floor. "Can I have dinner with you and your dad?" He asked, jamming his hands deep into his pockets.

Stiles led Derek into the living room, and pushed him gently into his dad's armchair. Derek sat, staring numbly at the Mets game on TV, as Stiles went into the kitchen to talk to his dad.

They ordered chinese food, and sat watching the game together. Derek tried to keep up with the conversation between Stiles and his dad, but after a while he sat quietly and listened to them banter back and forth. He enjoyed spending time with the Stilinski's, he felt comfortable around them. Derek remembered how tense the atmosphere had been at Peter's, and he was glad that he'd decided to spend his thanksgiving with Stiles. How messed was that, Derek thought to himself, that he'd rather spend a holiday with someone other then his family. After all, weren't holidays supposed to be spent with family?

The Sheriff suggested they play cards. "I have to go in to work tonight," He said, gathering up the dishes and putting them in the sink.

Derek looked at him, surprised. "They make you work on thanksgiving?" He said.

Stilinski smiled at him. "I get the day off to spend time with Stiles, but I gotta come in to work at eight o'clock." He said.

They played a few rounds of Cheat, which Derek had never played before. After Stilinski left for work, Stiles asked if they could play Crazy Eight Countdown.

"You know this game, right?" He said, grinning. Derek nodded. Cora, his little sister, was ruthless at this game. Derek was constantly trying to win against her, even reverting to cheating a few times to bring her down.

"Sorry if I intruded on your family's dinner." Derek said, as he looked at his cards. Stiles threw down a pair of kings, and glanced up at Derek.

"It's just me and my dad." He said. "We never cook a turkey or anything fancy like that. My mom was the cook in the family." Stiles said, looking down at the tabletop.

"Are they divorced?" Derek asked, noticing the sad look flicker briefly on Stiles' face.

"She died." He said, still staring downwards.

"Sorry." Derek said, unable to think of anything else to say. There was an awkward silence between the two, as Derek looked down at his cards.

"What was her name?" Derek asked, quietly.

"Claudia." Stiles said, wiping his damp eyes onto the sleeve of his plaid shirt.

"My mom's name was Talia." Derek said. "She died, too."


	5. Chapter 5

Derek unlocked the apartment door, and stepped in. It was late, and he was hoping Laura was asleep. He didn't want to talk to her tonight. The lights were off,  
but Derek easily felt his way to his room, one hand sliding along the wall beside him. Derek kicked off his shoes, then turned on the small gooseneck lamp on the nightstand, and lay on his bed. He had a stack of half-finished books stacked on the nightstand, and he grabbed one of them. He had barely finished the chapter, when his bedroom door opened.

"You're home late." Laura said. She was wearing a pair of shorts and an over-sized t-shirt. Derek glanced at his alarm clock, and realized that it was nearly two in the morning.

"I went out." Derek said, turning the page. He tried to get back to his book, but he could feel her staring at him.

"Where did you go? You completely ditched Peter and I." She said. "We waited for you to come back."

Derek glanced up. "I went to Stiles' house."

Laura walked up to his bed, and yanked the book out of his hands.

Derek sat up, enraged. "Give it back!" He shouted, as she jumped out of his reach.

"Don't you get it?" Laura hissed, as she glared up at her little brother. "What you're doing with Stiles, this relationship. It's exactly like Kate Argent.  
You're seducing a sixteen year old kid, Derek."

She watched as Derek flinched at Kate's name, before he defensively crosssed his arms across his chest. "I'm nothing like that pyschotic bitch." He said. Derek resented the fact that Laura would think for a minute that he'd ever take advantage of Stiles the way that Kate had done to him all those years ago.

"He's in high school." Laura said. "This needs to stop."

Derek tried to think of a way to make his sister understand. This relationship between him and Stiles, wasn't him seducing and using a kid for his own pleasure. He genuinely loved that hyperactive, intelligent, loyal kid.

Derek opened his mouth. "Laura." He said, his voice cracking, as he was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions. He remembered with shame the way Kate had used him,  
every minute detail of their relationship haunted his nightmares. Derek fiercely loved Stiles, but he didn't want to put the kid through the emotional turmoil that he'd beeen forced to endure in his teens.

Laura glared. "What would mom say?"

"Don't bring mom into this to win your argument. That's not fair." Derek told her, angry that she'd mention their dead mother. He always felt a twinge of guilt at any mention of Talia. Derek regretted hooking up with Kate, especially since their relationship had cost him nearly his entire family. Derek blamed himself for their deaths.

He often dreamt about the charred bodies, and the horrible screams they'd have surely made. After they'd moved to New York, Derek would always wake up, screaming and trying to beat out the imaginary flames before they could burn him as well. Laura had always been the one to rush into his bedroom, to console him as he sobbed uncontrollably. After various counselors, he'd finally confided in her about his relationship with Kate Argent.

"She'd want you to leave the kid alone" Laura said.

"She'd want me to be happy." Derek muttered.

"Find someone your own age. He's not the only person in Beacon Hills." Laura told him.

"He's a good kid, Laura." Derek told her, as she handed him back the novel he'd been reading. Derek dog-eared the page he was on, and carefully put it back on top of the pile.

"I know that. But he's still too young for you." Laura said. "Promise me you'll date someone in your age range. Please."

"Fine." Derek sighed, uncrossing his arms. He was tired of fighting. He crossed the room, slouching in the computer chair. Derek opened a game of solitaire,  
and started to absently move the digital playing cards around. His mind was racing, as he played the game on auto-pilot. Laura left the room, closing the door behind her. 


	6. Chapter 6

Laura waited until Derek had left to pick up some supplies, before she turned to Stiles. "We need to talk," She told the teen, as she sat on the counter.

Stiles looked up at her, curiously, as he waited for her to speak. The restaurant was empty, so he leaned against the counter beside her.

"What's up?" He asked, as he took in her clenched jaw, and her narrowed eyes. She looked pissed, and Stiles wondered why that was.

"My brother went to your house for Thanksgiving." She said, watching his face. Stiles nodded.

"He did." Stiles said. There was no denying that.

"He's too old for you." She told him. "You're jailbait. I'm gonna ask you nicely to stay away from him outside of work." Laura said.

"Hey, he showed up on my doorstep. Said he'd had a fight with you. I'm not going to turn him away." Stiles said, defensively.

"And I'm warning you to leave well enough alone." She said, leaning closer to him. "I'm serious, Stiles," She said. "Are you sleeping with him?"

"Dude, it was one kiss. I swear!" Stiles told her, eyes growing wide.

"You better not be lying to me, kid." Laura told him, hopping off the counter. She went into the back office, and slammed the door.

Cora were sitting at the tiny table in the apartment. She had her laptop resting on top of her science textbook, trying to study for her upcoming test. She looked up as Laura sat down across from her.

"Cora, has Derek ever mentioned if he likes any of my friends?" Laura asked, hoping that Derek would've confided in his younger sibling.

"Yeah, he likes most of them. Except for Susannah. She's kind of a bitch to him." Cora said, not looking up from her computer.

"No, I mean LIKE, like. Would he date any of them?" Laura asked, staring at her little sister. Cora sighed, and stopped typing.

"Jeez, Laura. Why don't you just ask Derek?" She asked, annoyed. "How the hell should I know who he likes?"

"He confides in you all the time. Has he mentioned anyone at all?" Laura prodded. "C'mon, Cora. This is important."

"He likes Brett. Happy?" Cora said, as she gave her sister a snarky look, as she returned to her schoolbooks.

Laura smiled. Her friend Brett Colfer, was single. He was nearly two years older then Derek, with black dreads half-way down his back, and a fantastic smile.  
She pulled out her phone, and quickly swiped through her photo album. She found a picture of Brett, and texted it to Derek.

Derek was standing in the middle of the grocery store, when his phone chirped. He unlocked his phone, and looked down at the picture his sister had sent him.  
He was surprised to see she'd sent him a picture of one of her oldest friends. The picture was from last summer, when Laura and some of her friends had spent a week surfing. Brett was shirtless, and grinning mischieviously at the camera. Derek called Laura.

"Nice pic. What are you up to, Laura?" Derek said, as he picked out some unblemished apples and put them into the shopping cart.

"Cora says you like him. Want me to give him your number? He's single." Laura said, not beating around the bush.

"No. Stop interfering." Derek said.

"Do you have someone else in mind? Is Brett your type?" Laura asked.

"Yes, he's my type. That's not it." Derek told her. "I'm hanging up now."

"WAIT! What about Jessica? She's into you." Laura said. "C'mon, work with me here, bro!"

"Bye, Laura." He said, hanging up.

When Derek came home, he had so many bags of groceries that he couldn't reach his keys. Derek rung the doorbell, and Cora jumped out of her seat and let him in.

"Hey," He said, lifting the heavy bags of groceries to the kitchen.

"Laura's been asking questions about who you like. What's going on?" She asked, taking some of the bags from him.

"She's trying to set me up with someone more my age." Derek said.

"As opposed to . . ." Cora said, giving him a questioning look.

"As opposed to Stiles." He said. Her eyebrows shot up.

"Stilinski?" Cora said, incredulous.

"The one and only." Derek said, giving her a wry grin as he opened the deep freeze, and started to fill it up.

"I know him from school." Cora said. "He's pretty hot."

Derek paused momentarily, then turned around to face his sister. "Yeah, he is." Derek admitted. 


	7. Chapter 7

Derek asked Cora if she could help out at the pizza shop for the weekend. He wanted her to start taking in a few shifts on the weekend, so they could train her. Cora was pretty excited when Derek asked her - she couldn't wait to work with her siblings. And on the plus side, Cora wanted to work with Stiles. He was fun to talk to, and one of the hottest guys in the school.

Derek put Stiles in charge of training Cora, as he went out to get supplies. "Just teach her how to use the computer and the general layout of the place. We'll leave the pizza making till later." Derek said, as he grabbed his car keys and went out the door. Stiles showed her how to use the cash register.

"It's pretty easy," Stiles told her, as he pointed to the computer screen. "See, this is how you take a customer's order." He said, going through the process. Cora nudged him out of the way, and took over the computer.

"I'm pretty good with computers," Cora told him, as her fingers flashed on the keyboard. Stiles was impressed.

"You're doing pretty great." He said, watching her work.

"So, are you going with anyone to the dance at school?" Cora asked, looking up at Stiles.

"Probably just with Scott." Stiles said, as he swept the floor.

Cora flashed him a grin. "Scott McCall? Is he your boyfriend?" She asked, interested. Stiles choked back a laugh.

"He's my best friend. We're like brothers." Stiles told her, as he continued sweeping.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" She asked. Stiles shook his head, as he stopped sweeping to scrutinize the younger girl.

"Why so many questions?" Stiles asked. Cora shrugged, as she picked up the pizza box and started to fold it.

"What about Derek?" She asked, watching his face for a reaction. "He's single, you know."

"Is he?" Stiles said, trying not to blush.

"Ask him out already." Cora said, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Laura will kill me." Stiles told her. "Your sister can be terrifying, you know."

Cora laughed. "She's all bark, and no bite. Believe me, She only acts like the tough sibling to try and keep us in check. She can be quite a softy."

Stiles didn't believe that for a second. "Yeah right." He said, grabbing the dustpan and filling it with cornmeal from the pile on the floor.

Derek walked in, and saw his little sister singing along with the radio, as she familiarized herself with the computer. Stiles was loading a pizza into the oven.

"Hey, Der." Cora said, waving at him.

"How's business?" Derek asked them, as he carried the bags of produce into the walk-in fridge.

"Slow. We've had like, ten customers since you left." Stiles told him, as he started to make another pizza.

"How you liking the pizza business so far?" Derek asked, turning to Cora.

"It's good." Cora said, enthusiastically.

"Good. Peter said he wants you to work here full-time in the summer. Start saving money for college."

Cora rolled her eyes. "College." She muttered, like it was a filthy word. "That's years away. How the hell do I know what I want to study?" Cora said, frowning. "I mean, I'm only in the ninth grade."

"Well, luckily you'll have a few years to figure that out." Derek said, amused. "And if you drop out, at least you can come back home, and have a job in the family business."

"If I drop out, I'll probably travel around for a few years. I've always wanted to go to South America." Cora said, grabbing the stack of folded boxes, and bending down to put them on the shelf.

"What about you, Stiles?" Derek asked. "Got any plans after high school?"

"I wanna be a cop, like my dad." Stiles told them, proudly.


	8. Chapter 8

That night, Laura walked into the living room, and stopped short. Her brother was sitting in the middle of the couch, one arm around Cora, and the other arm around Stiles. They were watching Star Wars, an open case of pepsi on the coffee table.

"What's going on?" Laura asked, noticing how Derek's thumb slowly traced circles on Stiles' forearm as they watched the screen.

"Star Wars marathon." Cora said, putting her feet on the table. "Want a can of pop?" Cora asked, snatching one off the table and chucking it to her sister.  
Laura caught it, and sat down beside Cora.

"Is this your movie, Stiles? I didn't think we owned Star Wars." Laura asked, taking a sip of her pop.

"yeah." Stiles answered, giving her a small smile.

Near the end of the movie, Laura glanced over at her brother, and realized that Stiles was passed out on his shoulder.

"Should we wake him?" Derek whispered, looking down at Stiles like he was the most amazing person in the world. "Or just let him sleep?"

"Wake him up. I'll drive him home." Laura whispered back, standing up and turning off the dvd player.

"He's sleeping over." Cora told her sister. "Stiles already told his dad."

Derek slowly moved to the side, lowering Stiles until he was lying on the couch. Laura grabbed a blanket, and covered him.

"He's so cute," Cora gushed, as Stiles started to drool onto the cushion. Laura turned off the lamp, and followed her sister into their bedroom.

"Can I talk to you, Cora?" Laura asked, sitting on her bed. Cora sat down beside her.

"Who's idea was it for Stiles to sleep over tonight?" Laura asked.

"Mine. Stiles was saying at work how he's a big fan of Star Wars. So I invited him over for movie night." Cora said. "He's going to bring some more movies next week. Anything you wanna watch in particular?" Cora asked, grinning up at her older sister.

"Are you trying to set them up?"

"What?" Cora asked, looking guiltily away from her sister's steady gaze.

"Derek and Stiles. Are you trying to get them together? I warned both of them to stay away from each other." Laura said.

"No, I swear." Cora insisted. "God, it's just movie night."

"Cora, I can tell when you're lying. Tell me the truth." Laura said, crossly. There was an uneasy silence, as Laura stared down at Cora. She finally looked up at her sister.

"In case you haven't noticed," Cora said. "Derek has been alot happier since Stiles started working at the pizza shop. Like, really happy. I haven't seen him like that since before the fire. I'm not going to be the one to take that away from him."

Laura groaned, and put her hands to her face. "I can't believe you're meddling with this."

"Hey, you started it. Telling Derek he can't do something is just asking for trouble." Cora objected, as she got off the bed, and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Laura followed behind her, leaning against the doorframe as she kept talking.

"Cora, i'm serious. You can't go setting up Stiles with Derek just to piss me off." Laura told her.

"I'm not doing this because of YOU, Laura." Cora said, after she spit out gobs of toothpaste. "Don't be so conceited to think all my actions are directly connected to something you've done or said. God. I'm doing this for Derek, mostly. And for Stiles."


	9. Chapter 9

"Do you want to go to the movies tonight?" Derek asked, as he watched Stiles sweep the floor. Stiles' head snapped up in surprise, and his mouth dropped open.

"What?" He asked.

"You heard me." Derek said, his mouth twitching upwards a little at Stiles' comical expression.

"Uhh . . . sure. What's playing?" He asked.

"I don't know."

Stiles kept sweeping. "This is a date, right? We're dating now?" He asked, excitedly.

"Yes, Stiles. This would be considered a date." Derek said, grinning.

When they got to the theatre, Derek bought two tickets and a large bag of popcorn from the concession counter.

"Here," Derek said, handing Stiles his ticket.

"We're going to see a slasher film?" Stiles said, reading the title off his ticket.

"It's either that or a chick flick." Derek told him. "I'm paying, so I vote for the slasher film."

The theatre was already half-full, so Derek chose seats for them in the back. Stiles spotted Scott and Allison walking in, and he waved at them.

"Who's that?" Derek asked, watching as Scott and Allison walk to the front of the theatre, holding hands.

"That's Scotty, my best friend." Stiles said. "His girlfriend is Allison Argent, they've been dating for a while." He said, taking a handful of popcorn.

The movie was good, but full of gore. As soon as it started to get scary, Stiles reached over and grabbed Derek's hand, clutching it tightly. One of the main characters got brutally murdered onscreen. Stiles screamed, burying his face into Derek's leather jacket. A few people around them started to laugh at his shriek, but Stiles didn't care.

Derek looked down, amused, as Stiles forced himself to look back at the screen. The kid continued to lean against Derek, as he nervously chewed on his nails.  
Stiles was feeling comforted by Derek's arm wrapped around him.

Once the film was over, they went out to the lobby, and Stiles searched for Scott.

"Hey, Scotty!" Stiles said, embracing his friend. Stiles quickly introduced his friends to Derek.

"So you're Derek!" Scott beamed, as he shook the man's hand. "I've heard so much about you."

"You have?" Derek said, surprised.

"Well, yeah. I mean, Stiles talks about you non-stop. It's been driving everyone at school crazy." Scott said. "I'm just glad to finally meet my best friend's boyfriend in person." Scott said, smiling broadly at the couple.

Derek and Stiles blushed at the word 'boyfriend'. Hearing someone say it out loud, was a pretty good feeling. Derek looked down at Stiles with pride.

"Thanks," He said, reaching down to grab Stiles' hand.

"Hey, maybe we can all double date. Go bowling or ice skating." Allison suggested, as they walked out to the parking lot.

"Sure," Derek said, as Scott and Allison put on their helmets and drove off on Scott's bike.

When Derek walked into the apartment, he could hear shouting. He went into his sisters' bedroom, and saw Cora standing on her bed, glaring down at Laura.

"What's going on?" Derek asked, trying to be heard over the noise.

"Peter agrees with me! He said Derek should be able to choose who he dates. Call Brett back and tell him not to come over!" Cora shouted, angrily putting her hands on her hips.

"He likes Brett! You said so." Laura pointed out.

"He also likes Stiles." Cora said, her jaw stubbornly clenched.

Derek stepped in between the two girls, and tried to interrupt the argument. "Guys," He said. Cora and Laura ignored him.

"Stiles is only a year older then you, Cor. Derek is five years older then him." Laura shouted. "That's a pretty big age gap."

"I don't see Stiles or Derek complaining! Stop interfering." Cora said. "Stop trying to set Derek up with your friends. Call Brett back, and cancel."

"GUYS! What the hell is going on?" Derek shouted, throwing his hands into the air.

"Laura invited Brett over for tomorrow night. She wants you two to have a romantic dinner, so you can stop thinking about Stiles." Cora told him, hopping off the bed. "She won't call him back to cancel."

"Laura, I told you I'm not gonna date Brett. Stiles and I went out on a date tonight. He's my boyfriend." Derek said.

"Yeah!" Cora said, elated. She gave Derek a high five, and gave Laura a snotty look. "Call him back." She said. Laura angrily tried to grab her sister, but Derek stepped in between them.

"Leave her alone." Derek growled.

"Oh my God." Laura groaned, taking her cellphone out of her jeans pocket. "I've had enough of you two." They watched in silence as Laura called Brett, and cancelled the date. "Happy now?" Laura snarled at her sister, who was standing just out of Laura's reach.


	10. Chapter 10

Cora sauntered up to the bleachers, and looked around. There were mostly parents, and a few students filling the seats. She turned back to her brother.

"Where do you want to sit?" She asked, glancing around. Cora saw Melissa McCall sitting in the front row, and gave her a quick wave. The woman was wearing a heavy sweater and jeans. She had thick, wavy black hair which was tied back in a ponytail. Cora grabbed Derek's sleeve.

"C'mon,"She urged, pulling him along. "That's Melissa McCall, Scott's mom." Cora told him, as they walked over.

"Hey Mrs. McCall." Cora said. "Can we sit with you ?"

"Sure." Melissa told them. "I'm sitting with John Stilinski, he'll be here in a few minutes."

"Oh cool." Cora said, grinning.

Sheriff Stilinski showed up a few minutes later, holding a large cardboard tray full of hot chocolates. He handed a drink to Melissa, then offered one to Derek and Cora.

"Thanks," Derek said. It was blustery cold, and he wished he'd brought a warmer jacket. They sat and watched the boys warm up on the field.

"That's so cool that Stiles is playing this year." Melissa said to John Stilinski, as they blew on their scalding drinks.

"Are you here to watch your friends?" Melissa asked, glancing over at the Hales.

"Actually, his boyfriend is on the team." Cora said, grinning at Melissa.

"Oh, nice. Which one is your boyfriend?" She asked, curious.

"Stiles." Derek said, pointing to jersey number 24.

Sheriff Stilinski leaned forward, and stared at Derek. "What?" He said, surprised.

Derek looked at the Sheriff, confused. "He didn't tell you?" Derek said, looking hurt. Derek sat with Cora, Melissa and John for the remainder of the game. Cora had wedged herself between Melissa and her brother. Everytime the boys from Beacon Hills scored, everyone on the bleachers stood up and cheered loudly to support the team. Derek waved at Scott and Stiles as they passed.

"Cora, are you going to the winter dance?" Melissa asked, turning to the young teenager.

"I'm thinking of asking Isaac Lahey." Cora said, blushing as she watched the lacrosse players on the field. "He's pretty cute."

"What about Stiles and Scott? Are they going?" Cora asked.

"Scott's going with Allison." Melissa said, taking a sip of her drink.

"What about Stiles? Is he planning on going?" Cora asked, elbowing her brother in the ribs to get his attention. John and Melissa laughed.

"You're not very good at being subtle, Cora." The Sheriff said, smiling at Derek. "Is this the Hale way of asking if Derek can go with Stiles to the dance?"

Cora grinned back. "Well? Can he?"

John shrugged. "I have no problem with you guys dating. Derek, have you asked my son to the dance yet?"

Derek shook his head. "Not yet."

As soon as the game was over, Derek walked out onto the field to talk to Stiles.

"Hey, I have to ask you something." Derek said, as Stiles wiped the sweat off his brow. "Do you want to go to the dance with me?" Derek asked.

"Yeah." Stiles said, lighting up. "I'll have to sign you in as a guest."

"Why didn't you tell your dad we were dating?" Derek asked, glancing over his shoulder at Sheriff talking to Cora.

Stiles froze for a second. "I was trying to figure out how to tell him. I didn't want him to get mad at me for dating someone older." Stiles explained, leaning on his lacrosse stick. "Sorry." He said, looking down.

Derek leaned forward and kissed Stiles on the cheek. "It's ok." He said, smiling.

The day of the dance, Stiles called Derek to let him know that he was grounded.

"He won't even listen to reason," Stiles groaned, as he recounted the story for Derek's benefit. Apparently, Scott and Stiles had been caught drinking in the woods. The Sheriff had grounded Stiles for a week.

"Could you talk to him? Maybe he'll let me go to the dance if you convince him." Stiles pleaded. Derek promised Stiles that he would talk to the Sheriff.

Halfway to the Stilinski residence, Derek pulled the car over, and got out. He parked in front of the florist, and ran in to buy a large bouquet of white carnations. When he came back out, Cora had got out of the car to stretch her legs. Derek looked down to his little sister. He was so nervous, as he paced back and forth on the sidewalk. Cora was watching him carefully, as she sat on the curb.

"You gonna go talk to the Sheriff, or what?" She asked. "The dance is starting soon."

Derek stopped pacing, and looked at his watch. They had one hour. Cora stood up, and got back in the car. "Let's go." She said, giving Derek an encouraging smile.

They drove to the Stilinski house, and Derek got out to knock on the door. Sheriff answered, and ushered Derek in.

"Hi." He said, as he watched Derek nervously shuffle his feet into the house. "Just one sec. STILES!" John called up the stairs.

Stiles bounded down the stairs two at a time. He skidded to a stop beside his father. "Oh . . .Hey!" He said, looking at Derek's fancy outfit, and the large bouquet of white carnations in his hands.

"Hey," Derek said, nervously. " , I'd like to take your son to the dance. I know he' s grounded, but – "

The Sheriff looked down at his son, amused. "He's temporarily ungrounded for the night. I know how important this dance is to him. But he has to be back by midnight."

Stiles ran upstairs. "I'm gonna change!" He called over his shoulder, as he ran to put on his button-up shirt and a pair of dress pants.

When Stiles came back downstairs, Derek and John were chatting in the living room. The flowers Derek had brought were in a vase on the bookcase.

"Ready, son?" John asked, picking up his digital camera. "Let me take a picture!" He said, as Derek and Stiles got ready to leave. Derek put an arm around Stiles' shoulder, and grinned.

"Have fun!" the Sheriff called out, watching them get into Derek's car. "Hey Cora." He said, waving at Derek's little sister as she leaned out the window.

"Hey, Mr. Stilinski." She said, waving back.


	11. Chapter 11

Laura was curled up on the couch, watching the news, when Derek came home from the dance. He fumbled to get the key into the lock, finally managing to swing the door open. Derek jumped when he saw Laura sitting in the dark room. He took off his jacket, and threw it onto the couch. "Hey," He said, giving his sister a goofy grin.

"Hey, yourself." Laura replied, turning down the volume. "How was the dance?" She asked.

"Good." Derek said, as he stumbled down the hall to his bedroom. She could hear him singing under his breath, something he rarely did. Except when he was drunk.

Laura bolted out of her seat, and followed him into his room. "Are you drunk? You didn't drive home like that, did you?" She asked, worried. Derek was sprawled on his bed, on his stomach. He hadn't even taken off his sneakers.

"I'm not stupid." Derek slurred. "Car's at school."

Laura started to laugh. "What happened?" She asked.

"I feel dizzy, my whole room is spinning, Laura." Derek said, with his eyes squeezed shut. "I'm gonna take a nap, now."

She started to untie his shoelaces. "Did you guys have fun?"

"Yeah." Derek mumbled, smiling. Laura pulled off his sneakers, and dropped them on the floor by his bed. "Cora kissed Isaac."

"Did she now." Laura said, smirking. "How'd he react?"

"He looked happy." Derek said.

"Some kid spiked the punch bowl. Little shit." Derek said, frowning.

"Who did?" Laura asked, sitting on Derek's computer chair.

"Jackson, I think." He mumbled, rolling onto his side. Derek opened his eyes, and looked at her. "One of the lacrosse players."

"How much did you have to drink, Der?" She asked.

"Like, ten cups. It was so hot in there." He said, laughing. "The dance was pretty nice, though. Good music."

"Where's Cora?" She asked, looking at the clock. It was nearly one in the morning, and Cora had to get up early tomorrow for school.

"Isaac is driving her home. I was going to drive everyone, but then I got drunk. I walked Stiles home." Derek told her, rubbing his eyes. He looked tired.

"I love him, you know." Derek mumbled, half-asleep.

"I know you do." Laura said, giving him a small smile.

"One day, i'm gonna marry that boy." Derek snorted. "Derek Stilinski."

"Or Stiles Hale." Laura joked.

"You hate him." Derek said, suddenly looking sad.

"I don't hate him." Laura said, slowly pushing off against the desk. She spun in the computer chair in a slow circle, as she listened to Derek's breathing slow down.

"Do you want some coffee?" Laura offered, standing up. "Sober you up some."

Derek didn't answer. He was already passed out. Laura grabbed Derek's blanket, and tucked it around him. She kissed him on the forehead, and turned off the lights as she left the room.

The next day, Derek had a massive hangover, and slept in until noon. Laura got Peter to take over part of Derek's shift. Cora took the morning off from school, waking up bleary-eyed and yawning from being up half the night.

When Derek finally emerged from his room, he saw Cora sitting at the table, eating a bowl of lucky charms in her pyjamas.

"Don't you have school today?" He asked, looking at the clock. He was surprised to see how late it was, given that he normally got up at eight thirty in the morning to get ready for work.

"I stayed home." She said, slurping the milk noisily.

"Finish up, and i'll walk you to school. I left my car in the parking lot last night. We can still get you to afternoon classes, if we hurry." Derek said, grabbing his jacket.

Cora slurped the rest of her milk, and rushed to get dressed.

"Can't I just skip?" She asked,irritated. "I'm so tired."

"Hey, at least you're not hungover." Derek said, as they walked to the school. He watched her go into the building, before going to his car, which was still in the parking lot.

That night, Laura walked into the restaurant, and saw Derek and Stiles standing together. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Derek gently put a hand on Stiles' shoulder. They looked so comfortable together. She took off her ballcap, and let her long hair fall down. It was nearly closing time, so Laura grabbed the spray bottle of disenfectant, and started to wipe down the tables.

"Need a ride home tonight?" Laura called out, as Stiles opened the register and started to count the money for closing. Stiles shook his head.

"I'm going with Derek to get a milkshake after work." He said, smiling at her.

She knew she was still a bit uncomfortable with them dating, but she was trying to force herself to stay out of it. Laura was used to being the older sibling, and a mother figure since Talia's death. But Derek was no longer a child. He could make his own decisions. Laura knew it was time to cut him some slack, and allow Derek to make his own path in life. And whether that included Stiles or someone else, well, that was entirely up to Derek.

"Have fun, you two." Laura said, as they put on their jackets and headed out to Derek's car. She was glad to see her brother so relaxed, so happy.


End file.
